A US lab has been accused of "playing with fire" after creating a hybrid super-Covid that killed 80% of the mice tested on.
Boston University scientists combined the most dangerous element of Omicron with the original virus strain which emerged in Wuhan in late 2019. Such gain-of-function research is thought to be a potential reason behind the pandemic itself.
It aims to improve the ability of a pathogen to cause disease in an effort to increase preparedness.
